Teaching a hyperactive child at school. What to do with hyperactive children at school

In detail, translated from Latin, “active” means active, effective, and the Greek word “hyper” indicates exceeding the norm. Hyperactivity in children is manifested by inattention, distractibility, and impulsivity that are unusual for a normal child’s age and development. < Слайд 1> According to psychological and pedagogical literature, the following terms are used to describe such children: “active”, “impulsive”, “nimble”, “energizer”, “perpetual motion machine”, “zipper”, “volcano”. < Слайд 2 > Some authors also use phrases such as “motor type of development”, “children with increased activity”, “children with increased affectivity”. According to experts, almost half of children suffer from so-called hyperactivity. Not only in our country, but throughout the world, the number of such children is steadily increasing. If a child is hyperactive, then not only he himself experiences difficulties, but also those around him: parents, classmates, teachers... such a child needs timely help, otherwise an antisocial or even psychopathic personality may develop in the future: it is known that among juvenile delinquents a significant percentage are hyperactive children.

Helping a hyperactive child is a very difficult process and there are many pitfalls on the path to full recovery. This is what the head teacher of a school near Moscow said about such a first-grader.

A well-prepared boy entered the gymnasium class of a regular high school. However, he was unable to study in this class. The reason is simple: the excessive aggressiveness of a hyperactive child caused constant conflicts with peers. One day, a classmate got hurt and received quite a serious injury. The parents rebelled and attacked the head teacher: “Remove this child from our class, we are afraid for our children!” The child had to be transferred to another class. But the same problems arose there too. The students in the new class turned out to be more cunning than the previous ones. The children quickly realized that if yesterday he hit one, today he hit another, then they need to unite and act together against him. Well, a normal reaction to constant irritation... But one day this unequal confrontation ended as follows: a lonely boy, armed with a ski pole (obviously after a fight in class), ran around the school in terrible excitement and anger and did not allow anyone to approach him. The teachers and high school students who were called to help were unable to get closer to him and somehow calm the child down. Often after this incident, having been brought to the doorstep of the school by his father, he was not in a hurry to go to his class at all, but hung out along the corridors or sat in the office of the vice-principal. Did the school try to help the child in any way? How could she... There were conversations with a psychologist, and teachers tried to find an approach to him, and parents were repeatedly called to school. It turned out that the child was being raised by the father; the parents were divorced. The mother lives separately and, according to her, is not even able to take her son with her on weekends: she is very tired of mutual communication with her own child. Well, the father probably allowed excessive rigidity in raising his son, whipping up the aggressiveness of the hyperactive child. A child psychiatrist, having examined the boy, concluded that the child’s intelligence level was above average, and recommended home schooling with school teachers, with visits to certain subjects in the presence of the father. But there was little time left until the end of the school year, and the organization of home schooling was postponed until the fall. In the meantime, they offered to study in a special sanatorium for hyperactive children. However, according to rumors, after two weeks he was kicked out of there, and he never showed up at school again either at the end of the school year or at the beginning of the next. This is such a sad story.

What is hyperactivity, and how should we as adults adjust our behavior to help the socialization process of a hyperactive child?

Hyperactivity is usually understood as excessively restless physical and mental activity in children, when excitement prevails over inhibition. Doctors believe that hyperactivity is the result of very minor brain damage that is not detected by diagnostic tests. Scientifically speaking, we are dealing with minimal brain dysfunction. Signs of hyperactivity appear in a child already in early childhood. In the future, his emotional instability and aggressiveness often lead to conflicts in the family and school.

How does hyperactivity manifest itself?

Hyperactivity manifests itself most clearly in children of senior preschool and primary school age. During this period, there is a transition to the leading - educational - activity and, in connection with this, intellectual loads increase: children are required to be able to concentrate attention for a longer period of time, complete the work they have started, and achieve a certain result. It is in conditions of prolonged and systematic activity that hyperactivity manifests itself very convincingly. Parents suddenly discover numerous negative consequences of restlessness, disorganization, and excessive mobility of their child and, concerned about this, seek contact with a psychologist.

Psychologists identify the following signs, which are diagnostic symptoms of hyperactive children.

1. Restless movements in the hands and feet. Sitting on a chair, he writhes and squirms.
2. Cannot sit still when asked to do so.
3. Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Has difficulty waiting his turn during games and in various situations in a group (in classes, during excursions and holidays).
5. He often answers questions without thinking, without listening to them completely.
6. Has difficulty completing the proposed tasks (not related to negative behavior or lack of understanding).
7. Has difficulty maintaining attention when completing tasks or playing games.
8. Frequently moves from one unfinished action to another.
9. Cannot play quietly or calmly.
10. Chatty.
11. Often interferes with others, pesters others (for example, interferes with other children’s games).
12. It often seems that the child does not listen to speech addressed to him.
13. Often loses things needed in kindergarten, school, at home, on the street.
14. Sometimes commits dangerous actions without thinking about the consequences, but does not specifically seek adventure or thrills (for example, runs out into the street without looking around).

All these signs can be grouped into the following areas:

– excessive physical activity;
– impulsiveness;
– distractibility-inattentiveness. < Слайд 3 >

The diagnosis is considered valid if at least eight of all symptoms are present. Thus, having fairly good intellectual abilities, hyperactive children are characterized by insufficient speech development and fine motor skills, decreased interest in acquiring intellectual skills, drawing, and have some other deviations from the average age characteristics, which leads to their lack of interest in systematic activities that require attention, and therefore, future or present educational activities.

Who is more likely to exhibit hyperactive behavior: boys or girls?

According to psychologists, hyperactivity among children from 7 to 11 years old averages 16.5%. Among boys - 22%, among girls - about 10%.

Why are there so many more hyperactive boys than girls?

The reasons may be: greater vulnerability of the brain of male fetuses in relation to various types of pathology of pregnancy and childbirth, in which the developing brain suffers. Functional and genetic factors may play a role. In addition, it is believed that a lower degree of functional asymmetry in girls creates a greater reserve for compensating for violations of certain higher mental functions. Perhaps girls are more dominated by the norms of social behavior, which instill obedience in them from childhood. As a release, a girl can simply cry, while a boy in a similar situation would rather “run across the ceiling.” < Слайд 4 >

Hyperactive children and their learning problems.

The problems of children with behavioral disorders and associated learning difficulties are especially relevant today. Constantly excited, inattentive, restless and noisy - such children attract the attention of the teacher, who needs to make sure that they sit quietly, complete tasks, and do not disturb their classmates. These schoolchildren are constantly busy with their own affairs during the lesson; it is difficult to keep them in place, make them listen to the task and, even more so, complete it to the end. They “don’t hear” the teachers, they lose everything, they forget everything. They are inconvenient for teachers due to their excessive activity and impulsiveness. And since a modern school is a system of norms, rules, and requirements that regulate a child’s life, we can talk about the existing education system as not being adapted to work with hyperactive children. That is why in recent years the problem of the effectiveness of teaching hyperactive children has become increasingly relevant and discussed among teachers and school psychologists. So, just a few years ago in primary school there were one or two hyperactive children per class, but now about 20-30% of students fall into this group. And this percentage is constantly growing. Despite all the existing behavioral problems, the intellectual functions of a hyperactive child are not impaired, and such children can successfully master the general education school program, provided that the requirements of the school environment meet the child’s capabilities. However, the educational system itself, especially in the first stages of hyperactive children’s stay at school, is psychotraumatic for them and leads to the emergence of maladaptive states in these children.
Thus, hyperactive children (and especially younger schoolchildren) experience an increased need for movement, which contradicts the requirements of school life, since school rules do not allow them to move freely during class and even during recess. And sitting at a desk for 4-6 lessons in a row for 40 minutes is an impossible task for them. That is why, already 15-20 minutes after the start of the lesson, a hyperactive child is not able to sit calmly at his desk. This is facilitated by low mobility in the lesson, lack of change in forms of activity in the lesson and during the day. The next problem is the contradiction between the impulsiveness of the child’s behavior and the normative nature of relationships in the lesson, which is manifested in the discrepancy between the child’s behavior and the established pattern: the teacher’s question - the student’s answer. A hyperactive child, as a rule, does not wait for the teacher to allow him to answer. He often begins to answer without listening to the end of the question, and often shouts from his seat.
Hyperactive children are characterized by unstable performance, which is the reason for the increase in a large number of errors when answering and completing written tasks when a state of fatigue sets in. And the fixed (standard) system for assessing knowledge, skills and abilities, adopted in a modern school, performs not so much a regulatory function as an sanctioning function for the child, since the increasing number of errors due to fatigue leads to an increase in comments and negative assessments from the teacher , which is perceived by the child as a negative assessment of himself as a whole, and not as an assessment of his work. A hyperactive person's reading and writing skills are significantly lower than those of his peers and do not correspond to his intellectual abilities. Written work is done sloppily, with errors due to inattention. At the same time, the child is not inclined to listen to the advice of adults. Experts suggest that this is not just a matter of impaired attention. Difficulties in developing writing and reading skills often arise due to insufficient development of motor coordination, visual perception, and speech development
The system of presenting educational material at school is, first of all, a pedagogical monologue, which requires attentive listening and executive behavior from the child, while hyperactive children need, first of all, visual and tactile support in obtaining information. Thus, we can talk about the discrepancy between the methods of presenting educational material (its insufficient variety) and the multichannel perception of a hyperactive child.
And one more feature of the school environment does not allow hyperactive children to feel comfortable - this is the lack of play space at school, while for these children it is necessary, because it allows organizing games to relieve static tension, play up aggression, correct emotional response mechanisms, and develop social behavior skills. And since the space for play at school is not defined, hyperactive children do not always build it where it is considered possible, and, therefore, again do not meet the requirements of school life.
The problems of hyperactive children cannot be solved overnight or by one person. This complex problem requires the attention of both parents and doctors, teachers and psychologists. Moreover, medical, psychological and pedagogical tasks sometimes overlap so much that it is impossible to draw a distinction between them.
The initial diagnosis by a neurologist or psychiatrist and drug therapy are complemented by psychological and pedagogical correction, which determines an integrated approach to the problems of a hyperactive child and can guarantee success in overcoming the negative manifestations of this syndrome.

Correction in the family

To enrich and diversify the emotional experience of a hyperactive child, to help him master basic self-control and thereby somewhat smooth out the manifestations of increased motor activity means to change his relationship with a close adult, and, above all, with his mother. This will be facilitated by any action, any situation, or event aimed at deepening contacts and their emotional enrichment.

When raising a hyperactive child, loved ones should avoid two extremes:

– on the one hand, manifestations of excessive pity and permissiveness;
- on the other hand, setting excessive demands that he is unable to fulfill, combined with excessive punctuality, cruelty and sanctions (punishments). < Слайд 5 >

Frequent changes in instructions and fluctuations in parents' moods have a much more profound negative impact on these children than on others. Associated behavioral disorders can be corrected, but the process of improving the child’s condition usually takes a long time and does not occur immediately. Of course, pointing out the importance of an emotionally rich interaction between a child and a close adult and considering the family atmosphere as a condition for consolidation, and in some cases even the emergence of hyperactivity as a way of behavior in a child, we do not deny that illness and injury can also make a negative contribution to the formation of hyperactivity or their consequences. Recently, some scientists have associated hyperactive behavior with the presence in children of so-called minimal brain dysfunctions, that is, congenital uneven development of individual brain functions. Others explain the phenomenon of hyperactivity as the consequences of early organic brain damage caused by pregnancy pathology, complications during childbirth, alcohol consumption, parental smoking, etc. However, at present, manifestations of hyperactivity in children are significantly common and are not always, as physiologists note, associated with pathology. Often, some features of the nervous system of children, due to unsatisfactory upbringing and living conditions, are only a background that facilitates the formation of hyperactivity as a way of children responding to unfavorable conditions.

• Try to restrain your violent emotions as much as possible, especially if you are upset or dissatisfied with your child’s behavior. Emotionally support children in all attempts at constructive, positive behavior, no matter how small. Cultivate an interest in getting to know and understand your child more deeply.
• Avoid categorical words and expressions, harsh assessments, reproaches, threats that can create a tense environment and cause conflict in the family. Try to say “no”, “you can’t”, “stop” less often - it’s better to try to switch the baby’s attention, and if you succeed, do it lightly, with humor.
• Watch your speech, try to speak in a calm voice. Anger and indignation are difficult to control. When expressing dissatisfaction, do not manipulate the child’s feelings or humiliate him. < Слайд 6 >

• If possible, try to allocate a room or part of it for the child for activities, games, privacy (that is, his own “territory”). When designing, it is advisable to avoid bright colors and complex compositions. There should be no distracting objects on the table or in the child’s immediate environment. A hyperactive child himself is not able to make sure that nothing outside distracts him.
• The organization of the whole life should have a calming effect on the child. To do this, together with him, create a daily routine, following which, show both flexibility and perseverance.
• Determine the range of responsibilities for the child, and keep their performance under constant supervision and control, but not too strictly. Recognize and praise his efforts often, even if the results are less than perfect. < Слайд 7 >

And here the most important activity for children – play – is absolutely irreplaceable, since it is close and understandable to the child. The use of emotional influences contained in voice intonations, facial expressions, gestures, the form of an adult’s response to his actions and the actions of a child will give both participants great pleasure. < Слайд 8>

Don't give up. Love your restive child, help him be successful and overcome school difficulties. Remember that “Naughty children are like roses - they need special care. And sometimes you get hurt on the thorns to see their beauty” (Mary S. Kurchinka). < Слайд 9 >

When it gets really hard, remember that by adolescence, and in some children even earlier, hyperactivity goes away. According to the observations of most doctors and psychologists, general motor activity decreases with age, and the identified neurotic changes are gradually leveled out. Connections appear in the child’s brain that were not there or that were disrupted. It is important that the child approaches this age without the burden of negative emotions and inferiority complexes. So, if you have a hyperactive child, help him, everything is in your hands. < Слайд10 >

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often called a disease of modern children. And although it is diagnosed in 6% of the child population in the population, regardless of region, any primary school teacher can tell you from personal feelings that he has much more such children.

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At the beginning of the school year, Sputnik correspondent Svetlana Litskevich spoke with psychotherapist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor Tatyana Emelyantseva at how to understand that a child has ADHD and how to live with it, how parents can help him and what help he should ask a school teacher for.

What is ADHD?

Such children are familiar to everyone - disinhibited, impulsive, disorganized, unable to concentrate on one thing for a long time. They can jump on the spot, wave their arms like birds, quickly forget what happened and cannot tell what happened at school today. Their behavior is unrestrained, sometimes completely inappropriate, and their notebooks are full of corrections, sometimes they can remain completely empty, sentences unfinished. As a rule, despite a fairly high intelligence, children with ADHD study much worse than their abilities; sitting through a lesson to the end is unbearable torture for them. How to help such a child adapt to school, and the school to be loyal to the child?

Time is on the child's side

It so happened that the topic of applying strength in science was suggested to psychotherapist Tatyana Emelyantseva by life itself. She had to study attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children because her son showed characteristic signs of this disease. She does not hide this fact, as well as the fact that everything is fixable - it’s just that such children require a lot of parental work. And most often, with age, they outgrow most of their difficulties.

ADHD most often becomes a problem when a child starts school. When his inability to study diligently is revealed, such children are disinhibited, absent-minded, and catastrophically disorganized. In kindergarten, this can go almost unnoticed if you are lucky with the teacher.

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If such a child comes to the attention of a psychotherapist before school, do doctors most often ask to send the child with ADHD to school later?

Yes, here time works for the child. His nervous system is maturing, and the later he goes to school, the better the results will be. A year is a very long time for a child. Let such a child be overgrown in his class, but this will benefit both him and the teacher who will work with him.

- Many people are concerned about the question: should I tell the teacher about ADHD?

Of course, this must be done. After all, the teacher should become your ally. And only together can you achieve good results. But perhaps it is better to do this gradually, as symptoms appear - many teachers are frightened by this diagnosis. It will be a great blessing if you manage to find a teacher who is familiar with ADHD, has previously worked successfully with such children, or has encountered similar problems in his own family.

People most often turn to a psychotherapist when a child goes to school and his “uncomfortable behavior” becomes obvious to everyone.

Don’t immediately assume a pose as if the teacher owes you something. You need to learn to find a common language. But for the most part, the school is familiar with this. For example, when I tried to explain to my son’s teacher that we have “special features,” she calmly told me: “Everyone has special features, these are children.”

Tom Sawyer is a typical hyperactive child

It is believed that such a diagnosis did not exist before; this is a feature of modern children, which is becoming more and more common in them. It's right?

Of course not. ADHD is not a new diagnosis. It was described in detail by Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer is a typical hyperactive child. ADHD was once called hyperdynamic syndrome. Because this restlessness and disobedience were obvious to others. It is a clinical phenomenon of a neurodevelopmental disorder. By the way, these now include not only ADHD, but also autism. And increasingly, these diagnoses can be combined, especially with Asperger syndrome (one of the autism spectrum disorders). There is, of course, a point of view that children with ADHD are luckier - they have less severe neurodevelopmental weaknesses than children with symptoms of autism.

Most often, ADHD is diagnosed in boys. In girls it occurs 3-4 times less often.

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- When should parents start worrying?

Typically, ADHD begins to "look" after 4 years. Signs can be very different, sometimes completely atypical. But some characteristic features are recognizable. 30% of such children have problems with speech development. Almost everyone is characterized by capricious protest behavior. They argue in supermarkets not because they are spoiled - they are extremely impatient and cannot control their emotions. Early, even in preschool age, they begin to develop various tics - a sign of weakness of the nervous system. Many people have heightened sensory sensitivity. Some may become hysterical at the sound of a vacuum cleaner, “squeezing and rubbing” - this also applies to them. One family came to me in which a girl came home from school in the first grade and undressed naked - everything bothered her. They are picky about the texture of clothing, the texture of food. Food with lumps for such a child can become a 100% condition for not eating at all. They may have enuresis and encopresis (spotting) for a long time. The act of defecation may be formed incorrectly - while I was in diapers - there were no problems, but on the potty - it does not work, protest. But he will shit his pants almost immediately as soon as he is left alone. And sometimes only these signs are used to turn to specialists; other signs of problematic behavior are not reported. If a child has similar symptoms, this is a reason to show him to a psychotherapist.

Where can parents get strength?

- What to do if such a diagnosis is made?

Don’t take this as the end of the world and prepare for a long job. In America, these issues are resolved simply - a condition for educating a child with severe ADHD in a decent school is the prescription of psychostimulants. Their high efficiency has been proven. They increase dopamine levels, which children with ADHD lack.

We do not have such practice; we simply do not have the opportunity to prescribe psychostimulants. It is important to understand that this is not an antibiotic that you took and forgot; they do not cure, they help for a while. Psychostimulants must be taken for years. Chemical neurotransmitters turn on the brain, attention - they give that drive that helps them finish what they started. Uncomfortable behavior goes away. Children begin to study better - because another problem of such children is that they study below their capabilities. For them, a lot depends on their mood, on their performance today. For example, there is more sun today - the child is more adequate, his brain is activated better, he is more collected. But no one thinks about the long-term perspective of the child - what will happen to him next, whether he will be able to live without psychostimulants, what his behavior will be. By and large, this is not a solution to the problem, it is postponing it.

Why do children from “decent” families run away?

You need to constantly work with the child, know how to help him cope with his restlessness, inattention, and make teachers and educators his allies. Parental support groups are very important here.

I have been treating ADHD for over 10 years, working with both children and parents. During this time, many children have grown up - I am surprised at how everything changes over time, how they align with their peers. Of course, I understand that I am dealing with motivated parents. Children with ADHD, with normal attention and care, can grow up to be quite successful. Yes - with small nuances. But they make good artists, architects, doctors, directors - they see the world differently, they see in images, they have a developed sense of empathy, they live more with their hearts.

You say that parents must be willing to work with the child. We all seem to be raising children, teaching them step by step, etc. Should things be different for children with ADHD?

You need to be prepared to endlessly go through everything again. If parents don't have that marathon runner's mindset, results may not be forthcoming. Recently I had a family, they live in America, they came here to visit their grandmother. My mother has a second marriage there and has a small child. She is restless, uneven - I see that she does not have the strength to support her older child, who has ADHD. Mom needs a specific answer: how to make the child obey, so that he studies well, so that he understands that it’s hard for mom. As a result of the conversation, I had to tell my grandmother that there were no options other than psychostimulants there in America. Simply because I see that my mother does not have the strength to help. The boy is very difficult, he is 10 years old and he already understands that something is wrong with him. Knows that medication is to be taken. He asks: “Is it true that I won’t be able to rejoice as much as before, for example, when my friend scores a goal?” I had to explain to him that this was only for a while, so that the attitude towards him would change. This, in my opinion, highlights the problem of the attitude of children themselves to the prescription of psychostimulants as lack of freedom.

Tatyana Emeyantseva does not hide the fact that she had to come to grips with the study of ADHD, including for personal reasons.

Although it also happens - I have been conducting group classes for parents for many years. I had one dad who came to see me year after year. I listened to approximately the same thing several times. When I asked why, he said: “I come here so that I have the strength to continue helping my child.” In group classes, not only knowledge, but also emotional support when someone has a more successful experience of interacting with school, for example.

Get through to him - literally

- If you go back to school, what can you expect from the teacher, what kind of help can you expect?

It is difficult for a child with ADHD to adapt to society, and his behavior is often inappropriate. They are inconvenient, such children. For parents, for teachers. They have a lot of problems with verbal working memory. The so-called inner speech - the ability to pronounce thoughts "to oneself" - is normally formed in a child by the age of 7, but in these children it can be very late. It often happens that the problem is solved, but he cannot explain the sequence of actions. Like a computer without a printer. But they do an excellent job with test tasks, and here they can show good results.

One of the most common complaints from parents and teachers is: “he can’t hear me.”

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In order for him to hear you, approach him, touch him, look into his eyes - tactile contact is important for them, let him say your request out loud. This is a way to enhance the efficiency of his memory. And the teacher, knowing how difficult it is for such a child to sit through an entire lesson, can send him to rinse the cloth for the blackboard or ask him to hand out notebooks or water flowers. Their attention needs to be switched to physical activity, then he will cope. If such a child is seated next to the teacher during a test, he will try much harder. The teacher must take this into account. But for this, parents should first talk with him about the features of the approach to such a student. I give my patients instructions for teachers so that they know how to calm down and how to redirect the attention of a hyperactive child. Information is also available on the Internet. Not everyone is looking for it, unfortunately.

It is important to understand that children with ADHD do get tired more than others. Given the immaturity of the nervous system and their mobility, they run ahead of the locomotive. Often, when they get tired, they become simply inadequate.

My son and I had a very understanding teacher who would sit him down on the sofa when she saw that he was laying down on his desk because he was tired. Or she allowed me to suck a lollipop, which triggered my attention while doing a test.

- Is it possible for such children to go to after-school care?

I absolutely do not recommend it. In the extended period his plant will end. And disinhibition and clown behavior will begin. But at home everything will be different - he will change the environment, switch gears, relax and soon be able to do his homework.

One of the theories explaining ADHD is the so-called energy theory, the “weak brain battery” theory. There's nothing wrong with the car's engine. But sometimes there is not enough gasoline. Emotional recharging is important for them. “Hugs and kisses” help a lot. But many parents underestimate the power of tactile contact.

- How can we persuade them to study?

It is useless to scold such a child for bad grades - but if he gets good grades, it is better to encourage him so that he remembers it and wants to do it again. Punishment has a much weaker effect on them than encouragement. They quickly become bored and get bored with everything. With additional stimulation, everyone's performance increases. And especially for these children. They need constant rewards. Immediately. The promise - you will study well, in 2 months you will go on an excursion with the class - not for them. Their reward must be immediate.

People on their own wavelength

- Where does such a diagnosis come from and is there any hope that over time the child will level out and outgrow it?

In the 1960s, it was announced that ADHD was an inherited personality trait. It is now again believed to be a disorder of brain development, caused by both hereditary and environmental factors. Including how the pregnancy, childbirth went, and the conditions in which the child was raised. And if the child was genetically predisposed to dopamine deficiency, but asphyxia occurred during childbirth, this could become an obvious problem.

ADHD also occurs in adults. And the numbers are different - from 30 to 70% of cases of childhood diagnosis of ADHD can progress into adulthood. Young people who are already over 30 years old are increasingly turning to me for advice - they are enterprising, they work in IT, everything seems to be fine. But they understand that something is wrong with them.

- What complaints do adults have?

Many complain about problems with attention, performance, severe asthenia, “depression,” and relationships with loved ones and superiors do not work out. One young girl expressed her problem like this: “I forgot everything I was taught...”

- So this is the specificity of our education - I passed it and forgot... Hundreds of adults can tell you this even without ADHD.

I'm not really talking about that. People with ADHD are on their own wavelength. They easily cross social boundaries, do not always comply with social conventions - they can directly say unpleasant things to others. They are often disliked by others, but they cannot understand why. They often have mood swings and are characterized by ambivalence and duality - when they cannot understand what they need. However, they are often very successful. There is a website “great people with ADHD”, but I won’t give examples - this is incorrect for a doctor.

From my experience, I can say that in recent years there have been more children with ADHD, as well as children with autism. And this is not only a problem of women’s health in the perinatal period. This is a problem of society, its informatization. It is simply the child who manifests this problem.

Of course, with such children it is not easy - constantly organizing his leisure time, making sure he is in a good mood, solving problems, keeping his finger on the pulse.

But in any case, you must believe in your child. While understanding that you can only do what you can do. But it’s simply impossible not to do this.

“The child is constantly distracted in class, plays around, interferes with others... I am called to school all the time. What to do?" “The son is overly disinhibited, runs away from class, and does not listen to the teacher. How to make him study? ADHD for some is a set of letters, but for others it is a diagnosis that forces parents to see certain specialists. Many people mistakenly think that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) means that a child lacks parental attention. No, we are talking about a specific diagnosis here. In this article, psychologist Victoria Musatova will tell you how to get a child with ADHD interested in studying.

ADHD: how to get a hyperactive child interested in studying?

What is ADHD?

In order to do homework, it is important to choose a period of time during which the child optimally maintains concentration. For example, it's ten minutes. But you need to take into account that any task must be completed, i.e. It is important to praise the child. Next, we switch our attention; we need a change of activity. It should not be combined with physical activity, because... Overexcitation will begin and it will be simply impossible to concentrate on “quiet” activities again.

When doing homework, the table should be clear of unnecessary objects. Just a pen, a book and a notebook. The room should also be cleared of toys and distracting objects, such as a telephone, computer, TV. The parent’s task is not to do homework for the child, but to teach him to correctly understand the task, write it down, add, subtract, collect things in a briefcase, and be organized.

For more successful learning, a token system can help parents. For example, a child receives a token for each task completed correctly. He saves them and then exchanges them for a prize or a gift, best if it is emotions. For example, going to a water park with the whole family. Spending quality time together is very helpful in correcting this disorder.

It is advisable to arrange an individual day for the child at least twice a month. Just mom and baby, then just dad and baby. At such moments, there is no need to discuss his grades at school or teach homework; it is better to listen to the child, his desires and thoughts. Based on the fact that children with ADHD are often reprimanded because they behave differently from other children, they have low self-esteem and increased anxiety. There is a feeling that he is worthless, and it can strengthen and haunt him throughout his life. Therefore, individual days will help restore balance.

If you have ADHD, you need to organize proper nutrition for your child.

You also need to normalize proper nutrition. For example, citrus fruits, rye, barley, wheat are not the best foods for children with ADHD disorder. They are more dairy products, meat, fish needed, - those that do not have extractive properties.

It is important to remember that a strict daily routine is important for children with this disorder. For example, you need to get ready for bed in advance; perhaps you should start at 19.00 in order to go to bed at 21.00. Consistency is needed in the actions of both the child and the parents. Spontaneity and chaos can only do harm. Overstimulation should be kept to a minimum. It is better to replace cartoons and blockbusters with tennis, football and fresh air.

At all, Sports are very important for a child with ADHD, because if he does not “spit out” his energy, then energy toxicosis will occur, which leads to overexcitation. It is best to choose a sport that requires maximum concentration, for example, hockey, ping-pong. At the same time, it is important to find an activity that the child will like.

It is recommended to include yoga in the schedule for children. It will help you relax, establish proper breathing and relax. It is important to teach a child this.

Classes with a neuropsychologist are also indicated; as a rule, they include: stretching, breathing exercises, oculomotor exercises, functional exercises, communication exercises, visualization, relaxation, massage. Functional exercises consist of developing attention, arbitrariness and
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You can do neuro-exercises yourself at home, otherwise they are called asymmetrical exercises for brain development. They are also useful for adults. For example, the “fist-rib-palm” exercise. First you show it to the child, then he repeats. Place your fist on the table, then from the fist place your hand in the edge position, and then in the palm. It is necessary to ensure that the fingers are pressed tightly against each other. Do it in forward and reverse order. To learn, first do it slowly, and then, when it starts to work out, speed up the pace.

Next exercise: raise your left arm and right leg up, and lower your right arm and left leg down in parallel. It's important not to get confused.

As an option, for stretching at home, you can suggest imagining the child that he is a jellyfish and, sitting on the floor, make smooth movements with his hands, imitating a jellyfish.

For relaxation, you can turn off the lights, turn on the night light and classical music, and just lie silently for three or four minutes, provided that no one gets up or moves. At first it will be difficult, the child needs to be controlled and returned to its original state, but over time he will learn to control himself and get relaxation. This exercise can be done before bed, when all the tasks have already been completed and there is no need to be distracted by anything.

Breathing exercises can be done at home using candles. The parent lights it, the child blows it out. You can also inflate balloons with your mouth.

I recommend purchasing the neuropsychological game “Try, Repeat” and the fluent reading “Read and Grab” for home purchase. For support, I also advise parents to register on ADHD forums and communicate with families who have already encountered the problem of learning with ADHD.

And in order not to “drown” in this diagnosis, read Irina Lukyanova’s book “Extreme Motherhood.” This is a clear, practical guide on how to behave in different situations, how to help your child at school, etc.

In conclusion, I would like to quote W. Shakespeare: “Our medicines often lie within ourselves...”. Be patient, the learning path for a child with ADHD will not be easy. But with the common sense of parents and the understanding of teachers, you will lead your child to success! Health to you and your children!

Thank you for your time. We welcome your questions and comments.

She graduated from Tver Technical State University with a degree in Organizational Psychology, as well as a master's degree in Psychology. Currently studying in the field of Clinical Psychology. Practicing psychologist. Since 2015, he has been practicing with children with disabilities. She worked in a psychoneurological sanatorium and has experience working with children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation, delayed speech development, general speech underdevelopment, cerebral palsy, minimal brain dysfunction, and acoustic spectrum disorders. Regularly improves his professional experience through advanced training courses.

Can a hyperactive child study in a regular school or are there specialized educational institutions for such nimble children? To be fair, it should be noted that in terms of mental abilities, these guys are in no way inferior to their peers. Therefore, there are no special schools for fidgets. And to the question Can a hyperactive child study in a normal school?, we can confidently answer, of course!

However, for such little ones the learning process is a little difficult due to psychological characteristics. Therefore, teachers and parents are recommended to follow the instructions and recommendations of the child psychotherapist regarding some of the nuances of teaching such a student. In this article we will try to explain who a hyperactive child is, and also give recommendations for parents of restless schoolchildren.

How does ADHD manifest itself?

Hyperactivity can be safely designated by the prefix “over.” Such children have an increased need for active movement. They are overactive, impulsive, have unstable moods, talk loudly, are unable to concentrate on one action or object, and have poor memory. They can be aggressive and whiny if they don't get what they want. All these indicators are a consequence of the malfunction of individual parts of the brain responsible for behavioral reactions.

How to identify a student with ADHD?

Adults often confuse banal bad manners and spoiled behavior with ADHD. In fact, taking a little closer look at the students, it will not be difficult to identify such a student:

• Distraction from activities. Even the most interesting activity cannot force such a small person to concentrate. He constantly switches to something else.
• Excessive emotionality is expressed in literally everything. May cry for no reason or laugh loudly when there is no reason to be happy.
• Loud and fast speech. Even after the comments, the fellow does not reduce the volume of his voice.
• Such fidgets write, often making typical mistakes; they don’t add endings, forget to capitalize, even avoid obvious punctuation marks. They are unable to correct the text even with the help of hints.
• They are characterized by fussiness and a lot of completely unnecessary body movements. Unable to sit in one place for more than two minutes. They constantly fidget and crumple.
• They have poor memory and forgetfulness. They forget to write down homework and may go home without a backpack or replacement shoes.
• Something constantly falls, breaks, gets lost.
• Unable to clearly explain anything or build a dialogue.
• The fidget is constantly surrounded by chaos. Even having arrived at the educational institution neatly, he is not able to maintain the appropriate appearance for 45 minutes.

• Under no circumstances should you punish a fidget for excessive activity. Moreover, this will not save the situation, but will make it even worse.
• Don't stop your baby from moving. Of course, running around and standing on your head is not very welcome within a school setting. But on the street, let him run, jump and frolic. After all, your “volcano” needs something to do with his unstoppable energy, and it’s better to let this happen outside the walls of the school.
• It is advisable to enroll a fidget in some sports section or circle. This could be football, swimming, athletics, etc. In general, anything, as long as he spends inexhaustible energy reserves.
• We need to ask teachers to involve fidget in active actions. This could be handing out tools in class, helping wipe the board, etc.
• Don’t force them to start doing homework right after they get home. Take at least an hour of active breaks between home and school activities.
• It is recommended to introduce into the small diet foods that require a lot of energy to digest (different types of nuts, meat dishes, etc.).
• Follow the recommendations of a child psychotherapist and strictly follow all instructions.
• Create a daily routine and monitor its implementation. Moreover, each family member must adhere to the daily routine.

ADHD is not a death sentence, but just a problem that can be easily solved by following all the recommendations and wishes of doctors and psychologists.

A hyperactive child is a schoolboy, what should parents do? Advice from a psychologist

Somehow you can still endure the tricks of the fidget when he goes to kindergarten. But when a hyperactive child is a schoolchild, what should parents do? Advice from psychologists will help you cope with this difficult period in your child’s life. This article will tell you how a hyperactive child behaves at school, explain what parents should do, and provide advice from a psychologist.

It must be said that junior grades are the most difficult for children with attention deficit disorder. After all, new responsibilities appear that must be strictly fulfilled. It is not easy for fidgets to sit in one place for a long time, listen carefully to the teacher, concentrate and adhere to the norms of behavior. This is often the reason why performance problems arise. But there is no need to panic and think that now there is no bright future for your little one. There are special programs and educational methods developed by psychologists specifically for such children.

Features of training

Unfortunately, not all educational institutions know how to deal with difficult children. And relatives are at a loss as to how to tame the fidget at home and force them to do their homework. But if within the school walls a teacher can always resort to the help of a full-time psychologist, what should the fiend’s family do? Understanding mothers and fathers know who a hyperactive child is and listen to the recommendations of psychologists to parents of difficult schoolchildren.

So, the most important point of the program is to create a daily routine for the baby. The regimen should be designed in such a way that mental stress alternates with physical activity. Also, the daily routine should include special lessons aimed at developing perseverance and attentiveness. Of course, tasks can be adjusted depending on the individual qualities of the little person. But there are recommendations, the implementation of which is mandatory for all difficult schoolchildren:

1. It is advisable to place the fidget in a class with a minimum number of students;
2. When doing homework, do five minutes of active exercise every 20 minutes;
3. By helping with homework, you provide educational material in an interesting and colorful form;
4. Perform daily exercises to develop attentiveness, perseverance and responsibility;
5. Get used to working in a team.

Getting rid of excess energy

Physical exercise and sports games will help you get rid of excess energy. At the same time, psychologists advise giving preference to games in which you need to use only physical abilities. Remember - such kids are very impressionable and, for example, competitive types of games can cause increased anxiety and fear in them.

Prohibitions and restrictions

You cannot prohibit anything before this without justifying your prohibition with facts and examples. Any remark must have a basis and be explained in a calm and measured timbre of voice. You should also not introduce a taboo on all the pranks of the mischievous person at once. Introduce your rules gradually. This way, it will be easier for the baby to understand what they want from him, and he will systematically get used to the new norms of behavior.

Learning to calm down

When you begin to notice that your “volcano” is becoming uncontrollable, change the environment around it to a calmer and quieter one. A mother’s voice, her hugs and kisses have a very calming effect on such a baby. The child needs to be hugged, pitied, caressed, reassured in a quiet, gentle voice. In the evening, you can take a relaxing bath with soothing infusions. Massage and reading your favorite fairy tales and books will also help.

Try to tune in to the same wavelength as your child. Then it will be much easier for you to understand how to behave so that he begins to listen to you and fulfill your requests. The psyche of a child with ADHD is characterized by a lack of attentiveness. Therefore, when communicating with your child, you need to speak slowly, pronouncing each word clearly. When giving a child any task, it is necessary to formulate the request in a short and understandable form. Too long a wording will confuse the fidget, and in a minute he will simply forget what was discussed.

Learning to understand time

It is extremely important for such mischievous people to learn to navigate within the time frame. To teach your child to sense time, set him tasks to carry out any assignment precisely on time. For example, we perform a task for 15 minutes and then jump on the spot for 5 minutes. Or we brush our teeth for exactly 5 minutes, eat for 20 minutes, and so on. Don’t forget to remind your child how many minutes are left until the end of a particular task.

Punishment

Such children are extremely sensitive to punishment. They perceive even a minor remark in their direction as a deep insult. The reproaches of mom and dad “don’t do this” or “you can’t do that” will most likely not be understood, but, on the contrary, the child will become even more uncontrollable.

But such kids take praise very well. If a mother wants the child, for example, to clean the room, she needs to praise him, saying how clean, thrifty and responsible he is. After such epithets, the child will run to clean the room, proving to everyone that mother’s words are not an empty phrase and he is in fact so wonderful and thrifty.

The diagnosis of ADHD should not become a wall in front of a bright and happy future for a little person. And relatives, like no one else, are able to direct the baby’s energy in the right direction and help him become a worthy and respected representative of society.

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Summary: Hyperactivity in children. Attention deficit hyperactivity. Features of the behavior of hyperactive children. Hyperactive child, problems at school, what to do? An active child. Problems at school.

This article is an excerpt from the book by I.Yu. Mlodik "School and how to survive in it: the view of a humanistic psychologist." In the book, the author shares with readers his thoughts about what a school should be like and what needs to be done so that students consider education an interesting and important matter, and leave school ready for adult life: self-confident, sociable, active, creative, who know how to protect their psychological boundaries and respect the boundaries of other people. What is special about a modern school? What can teachers and parents do to prevent children from losing the desire to learn? You will find answers to these and many other questions in this book. The publication is intended for parents, teachers and all those who care about the future of children. The book was published by the publishing house "GENESIS". More detailed information about the book and conditions for its purchase can be found at the link >>>>

Nowadays, one of the most common problems noted by almost all teachers is the hyperactivity of children. Indeed, this is a phenomenon of our time, the sources of which are not only psychological, but also social, political, and environmental. Let's try to look at the psychological ones; personally, I only had to deal with them.

Firstly, children called hyperactive are very often just anxious children. Their anxiety is so high and constant that they themselves are no longer aware of what and why they are worried. Anxiety, like excessive excitement that cannot find a way out, forces them to make many small movements and fuss. They fidget endlessly, drop something, break something, rustle something, tap something, rock it. It is difficult for them to sit still, and sometimes they can jump up in the middle of a lesson. Their attention seems scattered. But not all of them are truly unable to concentrate. Many study well, especially in subjects that do not require accuracy, perseverance and the ability to concentrate well.

Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder require more involvement and benefit from smaller classes or groups where the teacher has more opportunity to give him personal attention. In addition, in a large group, such a child is very distracting to other children. During educational tasks, it can be very difficult for a teacher to maintain the concentration of a class in which there are several hyperactive students. Children prone to hyperactivity, but without an appropriate diagnosis, can study in any class, provided that the teacher does not increase their anxiety and does not constantly upset them. It is better to touch a hyperactive child when sitting him down than to point out the obligation to be disciplined a hundred times. It is better to be allowed to go from class to the toilet and back for three minutes, or to run up the stairs, than to call for attention and calm. His poorly controlled motor excitation passes much easier when it is expressed in running, jumping, that is, in wide muscle movements, in active efforts. Therefore, a hyperactive child must move well during recess (and sometimes, if possible, during class) in order to relieve this anxious excitement.

It is important to understand that a hyperactive child has no intention of demonstrating such behavior “to spite” the teacher, that the sources of his actions are not at all promiscuity or bad manners. In fact, such a student simply finds it difficult to control his own excitement and anxiety, which usually goes away by adolescence.

A hyperactive child is also hypersensitive; he perceives too many signals at the same time. His abstract appearance, wandering gaze misleads many: it seems that he is absent here and now, not listening to the lesson, not involved in the process. Very often this is not the case at all.

I'm in an English lesson and sitting in the last desk with a guy whose hyperactivity the teachers don't even complain about anymore, it's so obvious and tiresome for them. Thin, very mobile, he instantly turns his desk into a heap. The lesson has just begun, but he is already impatient, he begins to build something out of pencils and erasers. It seems that he is very passionate about this, but when the teacher asks him a question, he answers without hesitation, correctly and quickly.

When the teacher calls him to open his workbooks, he begins to look for what he needs only a few minutes later. Breaking everything on his desk, he does not notice how the notebook falls. Leaning over to the neighbor's desk, he looks for her there, to the indignation of the girls sitting in front, then suddenly jumps up and rushes to his shelf, receiving a stern reprimand from the teacher. When he runs back, he discovers a fallen notebook. During all this time, the teacher gives a task, which, as it seemed, the boy did not hear, because he was carried away by the search. But it turns out that he understood everything, because he quickly begins to write in a notebook, inserting the necessary English verbs. Having completed this in six seconds, he begins to play with something on the desk, while the other children diligently and intently do the exercise in complete silence, broken only by his endless bustle.

Next comes an oral test of the exercise, the children take turns reading sentences with inserted words. At this time, the boy constantly has something falling down, being under his desk, then getting attached somewhere... He doesn’t pay attention to the check at all and misses his turn. The teacher calls him by name, but my hero doesn’t know which sentence to read. His neighbors give him hints, and he answers easily and correctly. And then he plunges back into his incredible construction of pencils and pens. It seems that his brain and body cannot stand rest, he simply needs to be involved in several processes at the same time, at the same time this makes him very tired. And soon he jumps up from his seat in great impatience:

Can I go out?
- No, there are only five minutes until the end of the lesson, sit down.

He sits down, but now he’s definitely not here anymore, because the desk is shaking, and he’s simply not able to hear and write down his homework, he’s frankly in pain, it seems like he’s counting the minutes until the bell rings. With the first trills, he takes off and runs along the corridor like a catechumen throughout the break.

Even a good psychologist, let alone a teacher, is not so easy to deal with a child’s hyperactivity. Psychologists often work with problems of anxiety and self-esteem of such a child, teach him to listen, better understand and control the signals of his body. A lot of work is done with fine motor skills, which often lag behind the rest of development, but by working on which, the child better learns to control his gross motor skills, that is, his larger movements. Hyperactive children are often gifted, capable, and talented. They have a lively mind, they quickly process information received, and easily absorb new things. But at school (especially elementary), such a child will be in a deliberately losing position due to difficulties in penmanship, neatness and obedience.

Hyperactive children often benefit from all types of modeling with clay and plasticine, playing with water, pebbles, sticks and other natural materials, all types of physical activity, but not sports, because it is important for them to make any muscle movement, not just the right one. The development of the body and the opportunity to throw out excess excitement allow such a child to gradually enter his own boundaries, from which he previously always wanted to jump out.

It has been noticed that hyperactive children absolutely need space for such vain manifestation of themselves. If at home it is strictly forbidden, through constant reprimanding or other educational measures, to behave in this way, then they will be much more hyperactive at school. Conversely, if school is strict with them, they will become extremely active at home. Therefore, parents and teachers need to keep in mind that these children will still find a way out for their motor agitation and anxiety.

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